The Labor enquirer., 1887-04-09

colon on ths way 70 robbery end murder)
but I am social or .indnstrial tramp
irregular unorganiasd; and, instead of
earning my living by shooting and stab
bing people, nov earn IL By odd jobs
hers, there, and everywhere. Anyone who
would accompany me for week or two
would learn that am genuine Jack-of-
all-trsdes.
Ny hrst job last November was to help
to pull and load turnips. That job lasted
two days and got two dollars and my
board for it. Ny next job was sorting
and barreling apples. Three dollars
without board. Then tuned piano
as we'll as could and mended a farm
wagon. Zone dollar, two meals sand
nights lodging). After that shingled
small shed, patched some boots, mended
some tinware, painted sign-board, fid-
died at barn-warmiDg, sat up with man
dying Of smallpox, and dug his grave.
My cash receipts in November amounted
to $13.72. Ny expenditure-by some
strange coincidence amounted to pre-
cisely the same sum, so that December
found me with clean balance sheet
financially.
Here's an extract from my memorandum
book:
CHICAGO, December l, 1886.
Arrived here this morning, which il the
morning of my fiftieth birthday. No sa-
lutes are being fired no bells are ringing;
no crowd of eminent citizens has assem-
bled to congratulate me-yet. No money;
no boarding house; no valuables to pawn.
can't say have no visible means of sub
sistence, for the amount of food visible
in this city is enormous. l must tighten
my belt and try to earn ration before
tomorrow.
In the year 1770 an Indian orator thus
addressed Frenchman named Bosso, who
was revisiting America, after long abb
sence: 81
GAN thy children, the Arkansas, have
wept for thee, not knowing what fate, since
fourteen harvests and six moons, had met
thee. We hope now that thou wilt not
more cross the great salty sea. in order to.
return to the great village of the French
men, where thou hast been, and where, ac-
cording to reports, thou vast imprisoned
in locked cottage (called Bnstile), be-
cause bad reports we're raised against thee,
through the speaking bark. Here, the
strong do not oppress the weak; good men
are not punished; the malicious are not
happy. Here, we do not kill, as the white
men do, for land, and yellow iron-which
we despise. Here, the earth nourishes us,
which we cultivate, without trouble. Those
to whom it gives the most do not treasure
up their harvests to obtain advantage from
the misfortune Of others, like the Euro
peans. We rejoice if we can support
widows, orphans, the aged and the help
less. Remain forever with us, and let our
people be thy people"
The white men have got possession now,
and have erected their bastiles here; and
throughout this "Christian land" the
white invaders have substituted the wor-
ship of the "yellow iron" for that of the
"Great Spirit" And all the worshipers-
spectators, boodlers, policemen, jailors,
hangmen, usurers, adulterers, quack doc
tors, quack gentlemen and quack minis
ters-are called christians" I have
very limited amount of "gray matter" in
my brains, suppose, for am unable to
understand why Ananias was struck dead
and all these greater impostors are per-
mitted, not only to live, and masquerade
as Christians, but to persecute, impover-
ish, and imprison.pebple whom they prove
guilty of striving to teach and produce
the principles taught and practiced by
Christ and his Apostles.
Enough of this moralizing, for one day
or one night, rather, for this s,portion of
my screed is written after midnight. L
must retire to my couch-<practically
speaking. have not far togo, nor much
preparation to make, for my present dom
icile is the boiler room of a printing office,
and my bed is the oily, coal-stained, rickety
bench used by the fireman as chair, table
and sofa combined.
had taken of my coat folded it for a
pillow, and curled mp on my bench, when
a new idea came into my head. deter
mined to call these writings Epistles after
the good old fashion-and to chuck in
few Revelations here and there So here
endeth the Frst Epistle of Radical Jack to
the Americans; plain or colorcd, black,
red or yellow.
| ITO be continued